Graphic Design representatives from Ferris State University will be attending the
“Pivot” AIGA Design Conference that begins on Thursday, Oct. 13 and runs through Sunday,
Oct. 16 in Phoenix, Ariz., to prepare for the future of design.

The conference takes place at the Phoenix Conference Center and welcomes more than
1,500 designers through a weekend of speakers, workshops and discussions. The conference
highlights design inspiration, how to meet clients’ needs and how best to make design
effective.

“As a design educator, I am particularly interested in talking with other design educators
outside of my normal day-to-day context,” said William Culpepper, Ferris assistant
professor of Graphic Design. “Attending a national conference with such a focus on
design and education will spark conversation, discussions and discourse with faculty
and design professional from across the country.”

Culpepper is scheduled to lead a discussion at the conference on Friday, Oct. 14 at
2:30 p.m. He plans to discuss his project Graphik Intervention, which focuses on sparking
urban revitalization through graphic design.

Others from the university system who plan to attend the conference include: Mike
Hu, Ferris assistant professor of Graphic Design; Angela Dow, Kendall College of Art
and Design associate professor of Graphic Design; Suzanne Jonkman, KCAD assistant
professor; and Joan Sechrist, KCAD assistant professor. Culpepper believes that people
who attend the conference will walk away with a new perspective on the changing design
industry and insights to improve designers’ value to clients.

“I am excited about the dedicated educator programming and sessions that are going
to be available,” he said. “Along with the pre-conference workshops detailed in the
program schedule, I am particularly excited to also attend the cross-over affinity
sessions on emerging trends that will be relevant to both professionals and educators.”

Culpepper hopes to bring the latest trends from the conference into the Ferris Design
Project Center studio setting. The Design Project Center is a learning environment
where students work with clients, under the guidance of faculty, to apply classroom
theories into real-world projects.

“Currently, design is at a critical inflection point as a practice, thought process
and force for change. As the profession of graphic design is changing, design education
will have a vital role and voice,” he said.

The conference also includes pre-conference workshops of exclusive studio tours and
hands-on studio activities. For more information about the AIGA Design Conference
visit http://designconference2011.aiga.org.